First Minister Mark Drakeford has thanked people throughout Wales for their hard work to help reduce record-high coronavirus case rates over the last 3 weeks.

 

He has confirmed there will be no changes to coronavirus rules following the latest 21-day review.

Wales will remain at alert level zero, which means all businesses are able to open and trade.

And the Covid Pass will not be extended to hospitality settings in this 3-week cycle.

The case rate in Wales has fallen to 507.4 per 100,000 people, and is no longer the highest in the UK, having dipped slightly below Northern Ireland where the case rate is 509.2.

First Minister Mark Drakeford said: “3 weeks ago we were facing a very serious situation in Wales, but everyone has pulled together and cases have fallen back from those record high levels.

“I want to thank everyone for their hard work and the steps they have taken to protect themselves and their loved ones.

“Saying yes to the vaccine and crucially to the booster remains an essential step to help keep Wales safe.

“As we start to plan for Christmas we need to keep on working together to bring coronavirus under control. The pandemic hasn’t gone away – a fourth wave is sweeping across Europe, with many countries introducing stricter restrictions once again.

“We will do everything we can to keep Wales open and to keep Wales safe. This means keeping the option of extending the use of the Covid Pass if cases rise again and pandemic pressures on the NHS increase, to help keep the hospitality sector open and trading through the busy festive period.

“We will continue to monitor the public health situation and we will work with the hospitality sector as we prepare for Christmas. Let’s keep working together to keep each other safe – so we can all enjoy Christmas together.”

The outcome of the next review of regulations will be announced on Friday 10 December.

Covid pass rules in Wales

The pass has to be used if you are aged 18 and over and are attending:

  • Nightclubs and similar venues
  • Unseated indoor venues with more than 500 people in the audience
  • Any outdoor or indoor unseated venues with a capacity over 4,000
  • Any event, of any nature, which has more than 10,000 people in attendance
  • Cinemas, theatres and concert halls.